As news agencies are reporting an intensification of violence in the Gaza Strip today, with Israeli military forces carrying out some of the heaviest bombardments since the beginning of the conflict — a group of Spanish celebrities circulated an open letter denouncing the, “genocide inflicted on the Palestinian civilian population by Israeli occupation forces.”
Film directors, actors, musicians, and writers have joined together — including Pedro Almodovar, Penelope Cruz, and Javier Bardem — to call upon the Spanish government and the European Union to condemn the bombings. The letter goes on to say:
“Gaza is living through horror these days, besieged and attacked by land, sea and air. Palestinians’ homes are being destroyed, they are being denied water, electricity [and] free movement to their hospitals, schools and farming plots while the international community does nothing.”
They also demand an immediate cease-fire, an end to the blockade in Gaza, an opening of the borders, and reparations for Palestinian civilians injured in the conflict.
Additional signatories of the Comunicado De La Cultura Contra El Genocidio Palestino include: Emilio Gutiérrez Caba, Lola Herrera, Amaral (Juan Aguirre y Eva Amaral), Eduardo Noriega, Lydia Cacho, Montxo Armendariz, Fernando Colomo, Verónica Forqué, Benito Zambrano, Pilar Bardem, Unax Ugalde, Eduard Fernández, Ismael Serrano, Goya Toledo, Antonio de la Torre, Juan Diego Botto, Mónica Cruz, Luisa Martín, Mercedes Sampietro, Juanjo Puigcorbé, Chus Gutiérrez, Fran Perea, Charo López, Alberto Ammann, Silvia Abascal, Olga Rodriguez, Olga Lucas ( Viuda de José Luis Sampredo), Lola Marceli, Carlos Bardem…
The entire list of names and the full text of the letter appears on a newly created Facebook page.